By Adegboyega Adeleye
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has apologised to the FIFA Council for his World Cup sell-off plan but has been told he is not fit to lead world football’s governing body unless he releases documents relating to a controversial World Cup commercial rights proposal and answers questions surrounding the deal.
Debbie Hewitt, chair of the English Football Association and a FIFA vice-president, said Infantino apologised to the FIFA Council over the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal but failed to provide answers to key questions during a meeting in Zurich on Thursday.
The proposal, which Infantino scrapped within days of its emergence, would have transferred a portion of FIFA’s commercial rights to a private investment firm.
According to the BBC, the FIFA Council meeting lasted three and a half hours, with members also questioning Infantino over the suspended red-card ban handed to United States striker Folarin Balogun, the FIFA Peace Prize awarded to US President Donald Trump and funding for national football associations.
Hewitt said the meeting was unusually frank but left several important questions unresolved, including requests for documents relating to the FFE proposal.
“One of the disappointing things is that we didn’t get answers to anything that we had specifically requested — for example, getting the papers from FFE,” she said.
“I think the man has to answer those questions and if he doesn’t answer those questions now, he’s not fit to be FIFA president — and that was what was shared in the meeting.”
Hewitt said Infantino’s apology amounted largely to regret over failing to present the proposal to the Council rather than a full explanation of what happened.
“What he really apologised for was not bringing it to the Council. If you regret it that deeply, share it with us,” she added.
She said the documents were necessary to determine whether those involved in the proposal could be trusted and whether further action, including possible criminal proceedings, was warranted.
UEFA, European football’s governing body, has been among Infantino’s strongest critics. It has prepared criminal legal proceedings against him and filed claims in three United States courts seeking the release of documents relating to the FFE proposal.
Asked whether her position on Infantino had changed following Thursday’s meeting, Hewitt said she had received no new information that would alter her view, apart from the president’s apology.
“From my position, nothing has shifted. I’ve no new information that makes me feel any differently, other than we do have a president who is apologetic,” she said.
Infantino faces criticism over Balogun ban, Peace Prize
The suspended ban imposed on Balogun after his red card at the 2026 FIFA World Cup was another major issue raised at the meeting.
The suspension followed a request by US President Donald Trump for the decision to be reviewed.
The BBC reported that a proposal was presented to the Council to amend FIFA’s disciplinary code to prevent a repeat, with the proposed changes stating that the disciplinary committee could not suspend an automatic one-match ban for a red card.
Hewitt said the decision, alongside the FFE proposal, had damaged football’s reputation.
“What happened in July did not serve football… whether it’s the Balogun case, the FFE case… the reputation of football was put under serious threat,” she said.
“Once behaviour starts to influence what happens on the pitch, then I think it’s a dark day for football and a number of people said that in the room.”
The FIFA Peace Prize awarded to Trump also came under scrutiny, with the Council discussing how the award was conceived, who authorised it and whether it should be withdrawn or reformed.
Hewitt said FIFA’s social committee would investigate the circumstances surrounding the award and present its recommendations to the Council in December.
She also criticised Infantino’s engagement with political figures and other dignitaries, arguing that football’s governing body should prioritise its 211 member associations.
“When he puts other dignitaries in front of his 211 associations, then he’s lost what football is about,” she said.
Infantino to seek third term
Infantino is expected to stand for a third term as FIFA president in March 2027, but opposition figures have yet to produce a credible challenger.
Former Tottenham Hotspur and Switzerland defender Ramon Vega has declared his intention to contest the election, although his chances of securing the required support from member associations remain uncertain.
Some senior figures in European football have also called for former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to challenge Infantino, but it remains unclear whether Wenger would be willing to enter the race.
Candidates must secure the backing of five FIFA member associations, with the deadline for nominations set for November 18.
Hewitt said it was important for FIFA members to have a choice in the election, noting that Infantino was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
“I think it’s important to Gianni to have somebody who stands with a different manifesto, and good for FIFA to have that choice,” she said.
She added that a prospective challenger should put football first, unite the global game and demonstrate the courage to introduce reforms.
The FIFA Council is expected to consider the findings of the Peace Prize investigation in December, as pressure mounts on Infantino to provide greater transparency over the decisions that have drawn criticism from members of the governing body.
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